Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom
1790–1855.
Author, literary historian, philosopher.
Already at the age of 17, Atterbom became one of the leaders in the company Musis Amici (later Aurora Federation) who wanted to reform the Swedish literature in a romantic spirit.
The literary revolution that Atterbom wanted to lead began in 1810 with the critical and satirical journal Polyfem. Together with V.F. Palmblad, he started the journal Phosforus, which claimed the poetry as a spiritual power with the ability to transform life.
With the friends Geijer, Palmblad and Törneros, Atterbom had a lovely and soulful family company, and in Malla Silfverstolpes salons, Atterbom and other romantics for decades were intimately at ease.
Atterbom became professor of theoretical philosophy 1828, professor of aesthetics and modern literature 1835 and was also a member of the Swedish Academy from 1839.
Among his works are Bird Blue (1814), Happiness Island (1824–1827) and the Collected Poems (1837 – 1838). In Swedish seers and Poets (1841–1845) he portrayed Swedenborg, Ehrensvärd and Thorild. It also depicts Stiernhielm, Dahlin, Kellgren and Bellman.
Burial site: 0152-0060
Image description: Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom, painting by Johan Gustaf Sandberg 1831. Photo: Nationalmuseum / Wikimedia Commons. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image